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Gregg Bell joined The News Tribune in July 2014. Bell had been the director of writing for the University of Washington's athletic department for four years. He was the senior national sports writer in Seattle for The Associated Press from 2005-10, covering the Seahawks in their first Super Bowl season and beyond. He's also been The Sacramento Bee's beat writer on the Oakland Athletics and Raiders. The native of Steubenville, Ohio, is a 1993 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., and a 2000 graduate of the University of California, Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism.

I’m not sure if I’m more nervous or excited. I think “we” should win, but the better team doesn’t always win. That’s what worries me. Regardless, it’s going to be an exciting week of nervous anticipation. I’m looking forward to the Packers and 49ers beating the crap out of each other tomorrow in Antarctica.

We’re a deeper team, and we’re a better team. I sometimes forget that too. Not saying we’ll blow them out by any means, like we did On that Monday nighter, but I really like our chances here. Early prediction, 27-10. lol..

I think the only way the Hawks lose this one is if they beat themselves. I don’t think that is going to happen. Sounds like they’ve had some great practices and Percy is ready to go. I watched the Saints game tonight, rooting for them the whole time. They eked this one out, but man were they busted up in the secondary…

Now I don’t really care who wins between the whiners and the Pack.. We won’t have to play the Whiners & Carolina back to back… and if we are fortunate enough to beat(down) NO once again, we’ll get whom ever survives between SF & Carolina.. let them pound living crap out of each other prior to the winner coming here to the CLink..

We have another advantage over NO next week. Carrol has said that if we face NO ,himself and his entire staff will be at team headquarters Sunday morning and monday breacking down film and formulating a game plan for the team for Tuesday!

Even better, if the 9errors survive the battle in the Artic cold, they will be rewarded with a cross country trip and play (hopefully a 10 am PT) game against a tough Panther team. That should be a bar fight. If the 9errors survive that and Hawks beat the Saints the NFCCG could have a tired 9errors team against a more rested Hawks squad. 9errors are the biggest threat and I want them as weak as possible if they play the Hawks.

This will be a different match up than the last time we played for a few reasons.

1. Our offense is not playing at the same level as it was back then.
2. They will have a different plan of attack
3. it is must win for both teams – everyone will be playing super hyped and ready to go.
4. Brees has proved that he can lead a team to the superbowl.
5. Because it’s the playoffs – I am sure something crazy will happen – (see Luck’s fumble recovery TD today)

BTW I thought the officiating was pretty decent today – not anything crazy.

I’ll admit I was hoping for this matchup out of the three options we had. Also hoping for the remaining teams to pulverize each other and generally weaken over the next two weeks.

I’m not rooting for Green Bay as much as I naturally route against S.F. at every opportunity, including when they played the Saints earlier in the year. I want them eliminated asap and it doesn’t matter to me who does the dirty work.

I wasn’t really expecting this either…a softer team to face. Compared to the brutal conditions of the game at Lambeau and then facing a very hard Carolina team…that side of the bracket will face a much more physical road.

I think we face Carolina (again) for the Super Bowl. Nice symmetry there. Last time it was Jerome F-ing Bettis (like who gave a crap?). This time we take out the forehead.

On paper, it looks good. But this is a competitive league…we’d be crazy to expect the Saints to come out and execute the same game plan from four weeks ago. Honestly, I was hoping like hell for the Packers to come for a visit.

I’m with BobbyK: both nervous and excited. Going to be a long week waiting for Saturday. Go Hawks!

GB is in an unfortunate situation without Clay Mathews (out), while LB Brad Jones (ankle), DE Mike Neal (abdomen), LB Nick Perry (foot) and DT Ryan Pickett (knee) are probable, though Neal and Perry didn’t practice Friday, while the others were limited. GB won a SB and had years of success with the ZBS. By adding RB Eddie Lacy, however, GB lucked into becoming a power running team and GB added man blocking to their arsenal, moving guards to the outside of the play after the snap. GB can run either ZBS or man, as few teams can, opponents will be unable to commit to one type of defense, meaning that after the snap they will hesitate, waiting for the blocking scheme to reveal itself. Still, they are playing SF, one of the best run-Ds…

Then again, for SF, LB Dan Skuta (foot), CB Carlos Rogers (hamstring) and CB Eric Wright (hamstring) are listed as questionable for the game. WR Jonathan Baldwin (illness), C Jonathan Goodwin (shoestring), OG Mike Iupati (knee), DT Justin Smith (shoulder), LB NaVorro Bowman (wrist) and CB Tarell Brown (ribs) are listed as probable. Rogers did not participate in practice all week. Skuta and Wright were limited during practice while the others fully participated. Vernon Davis lines up on the left side, just to the left of and behind the Joe Staley. 9ers plays take awhile to develop, so VD runs straight ahead, not indicating whether it’s run or pass. By the time Kaep signals whether it’s throw or pass, Davis’s either downfield blocking a linebacker for Gore or he’s wide open for a pass, since most DBs are too afraid to commit to press coverage in case it was a run play all along. Either way, often big yardage (except against SEA at the Clink). SF has a good receiving corps and with Kaep’s ability to scramble, it takes tremendous concentration on the D to cover everyonf. SF is probably good/healthy enough to pull out the win in GB.

Not only is my team deep in the playoffs, they just drew the optimum opponent.

The key is our defense. Other teams must find a way to deal with a bunch of thugs. It is a dark street, no help around, and there they are: Mebane, Thomas, McDonald, Wagner, Irvin, and others and there is no way out….Thugs. Gotta love it. Who’d a thought it. A Seahawk team that others fear.

The advantage of getting old is that eventually everything comes around.

I’d personally rather not have to hear (the whole offseason) about how the niners were able to make it back to the NFC Championship game on the heels of a SuperBowl appearance…Words like “legacy” etc….Couldn’t deal with that…Come on Pack!!

Also, I also was at that Monday Night game and it was amazing how we ran them out of the building, but before I get too cocky, Sproles was out and Graham was nursing a set back to his season long injury that night. I fully expect the Saints to spread the ball wide and short against us to loosen up the middle of the defense later in the game…In other words, I expect a ball game this time.

It appears that it won’t be Ice Bowl temps today in Green Bay, those are delayed until tomorrow. A bit warmer, if you can say that word, than feared. Still going to be damned cold and windy. Going to be rough on the winner to survive that game then go face Carolina’s D on the road. Almost as tough as having to come to Seattle, but at least they won’t have a short week.

I also expect NO to play better this time…but they now have the road playoff monkey off their back. Their D was better than I expected against Philly last night, but Philly has been a little lucky and played an easy schedule this year. I expect our offense will come to life in a big way against that D. 35 points is not out of the question. And our D will take care of itself and take care of business. Definitely a good match-up for us…it’s not like NO has suddenly become road warriors just because they beat a questionable Philly team last night.

I have friend that lives in Wisconsin who says that Lambeau Field has nene frozen solid for almost two months now and is of the opinion that the WalMart parking lot might be just as forgiving as the frozen turf will be today. No one is going to kick a 50 yard FG with the balls as hard as rocks.

“Everyone” said Seattle was ‘unbeatable’ at home, and we finally lost to get it out of our system. Result? A return to normalcy where we dominate at home.

“Everyone” said the Saints couldn’t win on the road, and they finally won to get it our of their system. Result? A return to normalcy where they get clobbered in the most hostile environment in all of sport.

Stop being nervous and start being PSYCHED. Seahawks will win this comfortably (even if its not a blowout like before).

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